“The fact is, the role of stay-at-home moms is often undervalued, not because it isn’t valuable work but because it is not a role traditionally held by men. The idea that women have been freed from the chains of full-time motherhood to pursue more meaningful work is sexism disguised as enlightenment, and it’s an insult to generations of women who dedicated their lives to full-time mothering and homemaking. I never want my children to see SAHMs [stay at home moms] as less interesting, intelligent or hard-working than other moms. Rather, I want my sons and my daughters to realize that stay-at-home parenting is as valuable and worthwhile as any paying career to which they could aspire.”
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{ Excerpt from: “We need to change the conversation about moms and work to include other perspectives” by Laura Hanby Hudgens for The Washington Post // Artwork by @jesstimmis_art }

227 likes
24 comments

2 days ago

You divine little creature gifted from elsewhere, delivering life lessons for us to grow ✨

LET'S TALK POSTPARTUM!
You may or may not have planned the the pregnancy.
You planned the gender reveal party.
You planned the baby shower.
You planned the nursery.
You planned the birth.
Did you plan your postpartum?
Postpartum is a huge transition for mom and the whole family.
A postpartum doula can be worth their weight in gold. They are worth every penny.
From teaching new born care, to helping with breastfeeding. To doing a load of dishes or taking out the trash. From holding baby while mom showers, to keeping the older kids busy so parents can nap. From a home cooked meal to washing bottles. Even just a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear.
A postpartum doula can help make this transition so much easier.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENC IN THE COMMENTS. Did you have a postpartum doula? Do you wish you had?
TAG your expecting mom friends as a little reminder to plan their postpartum. .
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#momtomomcare #newmom#postpartum #4thtrimester
#postpartumdoula
#newborncare #plan#postpartumcare #birthofamother
#postpartumwithoutfear #ittakesavillage#traditionalpostpartum 📷: Kevin Liang

Such tiny little feet in a big world ♡
SABPA theme of the week ♡
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info@rosegarnet.co.za
www.rosegarnet.co.za

20 likes
1 comments

3 days ago

“200 years ago – hell, 100 years ago – you’d have a child surrounded by other women: your mother, her mother, sisters, cousins, sisters-in-law, mother-in-law.
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You’d share childcare with a raft of women. They’d help you, keep you company, show you how. Then you’d do the same. Not just people to share in the work of raising children, but people to share in the loving of children.
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Now maybe you make a living, maybe you get to know yourself on your own terms. Maybe you have adventures, heartbreak. Maybe you nurture ambition. Maybe you explore your sexuality. And then: unceremoniously sliced in fucking half, handed a newborn, home to your little isolation tank, get on with it, and don’t you dare post too many pictures. You don’t want to be one of ‘those’.”
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{ Excerpts from: “After Birth” by Elisa Albert @elisatamar // Artwork by @lilienneo }

RE-VILLAGING.
We’ve lost the “village” that was supposed to help when this mothering thing got *hard.* That’s one of the reasons why I created MotherSHIFT - both to nurture an intimate community of women who take part in the 3-month program together, and also to support those women to go forth and forge meaningful communities of their own.
One participant last year said: “So far the MotherSHIFT virtual women’s circles have been my most favourite new mama community. I have felt inspired and held by the group chats, and have felt so much relief from the group laughs. I have felt so excited and nourished and filled up these past weeks.” I would love to have you join us, and to hold you in this brave space we’re creating as you discover who you are as a mother.
Find out more details and register using the link in my profile!

Sometimes I run cold with fear when I consider the uncertainty of the world into which I have brought my children. If I’m honest, it’s a work in progress for me to know how to hold both fear and hope in my heart. It’s complicated. It can make me heavy, anxious and introspective. ⁣⁣
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And then, there are these moments...⁣⁣
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My daughter, aged 3, laughing to herself while eating breakfast...‘Mummy, do you know, I’m dancing to the crunching in my mouth!’ ⁣⁣
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Or pondering her feet before exclaiming ‘my toes are as long as a wizard’s table!’ ⁣⁣
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Or we have a long hug and she tells me, ‘we cuddle each other because that’s how we get calm and come back to life.’⁣⁣
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And for a moment things are simple.⁣⁣
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And her light is so bright. ⁣⁣
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And I never want her to stop shining it. ⁣⁣
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✨Watch / listen to CRADLE. Link in bio⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣✨

“Occasional parental inattention is not catastrophic (and may even build resilience), but chronic distraction is another story. Smartphone use has been associated with a familiar sign of addiction: Distracted adults grow irritable when their phone use is interrupted; they not only miss emotional cues but actually misread them. A tuned-out parent may be quicker to anger than an engaged one, assuming that a child is trying to be manipulative when, in reality, she just wants attention. Short, deliberate separations can of course be harmless, even healthy, for parent and child alike (especially as children get older and require more independence). But that sort of separation is different from the inattention that occurs when a parent is with a child but communicating through his or her nonengagement that the child is less valuable than an email. A mother telling kids to go out and play, a father saying he needs to concentrate on a chore for the next half hour—these are entirely reasonable responses to the competing demands of adult life. What’s going on today, however, is the rise of unpredictable care, governed by the beeps and enticements of smartphones. We seem to have stumbled into the worst model of parenting imaginable—always present physically, thereby blocking children’s autonomy, yet only fitfully present emotionally.”
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{ Excerpt from: “The Dangers of Distracted Parenting” by
Erika Christakis for @theatlantic // Artwork by @edmon_deharo }

“Mothers couldn't be an easier target if they stood in front of a dart board. Bad at math? Blame mom, for not taking the right hormonal supplements. Are you an emotional eater? Mom should have hugged you more. Bad gut? Anxious brain? Mom wasn't chill enough when she carried you in the womb.
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Over the years, mothers have been declared culpable for a long list of ills, medical and social: autism, serial murderers, low self-esteem, too high self-esteem. Not that this has stopped society from also summarily declaring moms the natural nurturers. Praise. Slap. Praise. Slap.
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The judgment falls heaviest on poor, single and minority mothers. Upper middle-class moms may obsess about organic food, breastfeeding edicts and the occasional pinot grigio, but they don't worry about the authorities showing up to take their kids, or face judging looks on the bus for being too young or too poor. By making it the fault of individual women, society gives itself a pass on more pressing, harder-to-solve problems.
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Instead of dumping on mothers, look at the wider world. If we want working women to feel less stress so their babies do better, perhaps affordable, accessible daycare and more family friendly workplaces would help. Don't tell a pregnant woman to eat better if she can't afford healthy food. Or not to feel stressed when she's struggling to pay rent.
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"It's so much easier," says Ladd-Taylor, "to blame pregnant women than it is to address other issues affecting children's health, which require us to tackle more powerful interests rather than some of the most vulnerable, marginalized people in society."
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What's frustrating about this insidious narrative is that the science of epigenetics has the potential to do real good, to help us understand how to better support mothers and families. But researchers and policy makers can't leap to conclusions that suggest women somehow have exclusive control over their lives. Except, that is, when society chooses to throw a dart in their direction.”
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{ 🖊 : “Let's stop pointing the finger at mothers and address the real issues around children's health” by E. Anderssen for @globeandmail // 📷 by @ken_heyman_photography }

On that first night, when the hospital falls quiet and you're sitting in your bed, staring at this hours-old person you made, it's hard to absorb exactly what's happened to you.
Let me tell you.
Your child was born. And so were you.
You became a mum.
Yes, you.
It's so weird, isn't it? People keep calling you 'Mum' and you're like, 'But Mum is a woman called Penny who still calls me to remind me to send birthday cards to people and sends me articles like "Why Bottled Water Is Bad For You" . . . so I can't be "Mum", can I?' Yep, you can.
The title Mother is given instantly. The baby is handed to you,
and hello - you are a Mother.
But the transition to 'Mum' takes a little longer.
At first it's like an ill-fitting bra, digging and pulling and throwing your posture off. You can't get comfortable because it just doesn't feel quite right.
Bit by bit, the straps loosen, the wire dislodges from your ribs, and one day - without even noticing it happen - you realise you're comfortable. A child's journey into adulthood is called adolescence. A woman's journey into motherhood is called matrescence. It's a similarly significant, life-altering evolution into a new stage of being, but most people have never heard of it.
When a baby is born, we celebrate the baby. This little life, so new to the world, is loved and cherished by all.
But we don't celebrate the other birth - the birth of the mother. We don't gather around and hold that woman in our arms and let her know how special she is and how loved she'll be through this journey. We don't comfort and calm her. We don't even speak to her about this massive change in her life. We just carry on like nothing has happened, and expect her to do the same.
By @thelaurendubois via @essentialbaby
#motherhood #birthofamother

Patiently, joyfully, awaiting the baby you’ve been longing to hold for what seems like forever. The gift of surrogacy.⠀
⠀
Gather Birth Cooperative | Minneapolis, St. Paul Birth Photography + Doula + Postpartum Sessions + Film + more⁠⠀
⁠⠀
@gatherbirth | gatherbirth.com⁠⠀
⠀
[Image Description: The camera is focused on a woman who waits at the bottom of a hospital bed, eyes fixed toward the birthing person, her surrogate, about to birth her baby. The doctor and nurse, stationed at each side of the birthing person’s legs, smile expectantly.]⠀
⠀
#surrogacy #surrogatefamily#birthofamother#minnesotaphotographer#birthphotographer#tribedemama⠀
⠀

My mother and I didn't always have the best relationship, but I've come to understand her now, better, after becoming a mother myself.
You see, her own mother died roughly a month before I was born. Her grandmother died two weeks after that. The two women who had raised her (her father died of esophageal cancer when she was 7), were gone. She'd just moved back from South Dakota, my dad was going back to school after leaving the military, and she was left, to pack up a house full of memories all the while worrying about money and they ended up living in the same house she'd grown up in.
And my mother didn't have her mother to lean on. I had reflux, mom had never swaddled or even changed a diaper before me. She had an emergency c-section at 36 weeks because I came early. A 5 pound newborn, while my dad was going to school and working night shift as a security guard.
And now that I've had my own daughter, and I've struggled with my own issues, my mom is a balm to my aching heart. And I tell her that, too. Because she knows what it's like to be in my shoes.
On a happy note, though, my daughter is a first born. I am, too. My mom's mom also had a firstborn daughter, and was a first born daughter.
We seem to have a lot of girls around here.❤ #birthofamother#motherhood#holisticmom#breastfeedingmom#birthwithoutfear#postpartumdepression#postpartumanxiety#sonyphotography#sonya7#zeisslenses#thisismotherhood#postpartumhealth#birthdoula

MotherSHIFT is open for registration!
MotherSHIFT is a three-month (yes, a full trimester) of support for mothers in their first few years of motherhood.
Now that MotherSHIFT is in its third season, I can say for certain that my favourite thing about the program - and what I endeavour to do in all my work with birthing mamas - is that it is a space to talk about the things no one talks about.
Because most of us spend hours upon hours figuring out which cloth diapers to buy, what to expect during labour, and what Netflix series to watch during baby's first growth spurt, but what we don't talk about is how radical the transformation into motherhood is. How there's no "getting back to normal." How sometimes you feel like you've lost yourself. How your relationships change, your values shift, how the way you feel about your body transforms.
During MotherSHIFT, you'll be guided through a process and practices that will help you make sense of who you are as a mother, and who you are as a woman who happens to be a mother.
You'll explore things like... < how your life has transformed since you've become a mother (whether you're a mama of one or more!) - your relationships, career, values, sense of community...this is one of those changes that changes everything! < the grief or sadness related to some of what you might have left behind now that you're a mother < what you'd like to claim for yourself and your family as you step fully into this new Motherself < meaningful self-care practices that actually nourish you < your MotherPowers - your creativity, your inner knowing, and your relationship with your body - I think of these as the great untapped potentials of motherhood < building greater capacity for community, friendship, and leadership to support you on your motherhood path
We do this through weekly modules that contain journaling questions and prompts, weekly virtual women's circles, and a series of group coaching calls.
The program is carefully paced and totally do-able during nap-times or between feedings because: motherhood.
To find out more, head over to the link in my profile. MotherSHIFT starts September 24th.

8 likes
1 comments

1 week ago

"Every day is a new day for our babies. Every day their brain and mind is massively transformed. And so, they need us to parent the baby in front of us and meet the needs we see. We can’t assume that today will look like yesterday or tomorrow will look like today. It helps to let it go that naps or bedtime will look like yesterday. It helps to let it go that play, movement, vocalizing, mood, eating, likes or dislikes will look like yesterday. It helps to remember that some days are easier and some days are really really hard. An astounding 1 million connections per second are built in the baby brain. That means your baby is about 86 trillion 4 billion brain connections different than yesterday."
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{ Post by: @nurture_neuroscience_parenting }

We don’t put champagne on the birth supplies list (hmmm, maybe we should 🤔), but we’ll never turn down the opportunity to celebrate a birth day!
There were many hands committed to making this particular birth one of the most awesomely supported birthing days to date. Birth isn’t always this festive but for these fun clients, it fit! We enjoyed an immediate postpartum that was more like a party, and clients that were more like family.
Did you do anything special to celebrate after your birth? Share your ideas with us!
Photo by the lovely Danielle Youngdale ♥️

42 likes
7 comments

2 weeks ago

“Mom” derives from baby talk: ma ma. It’s a deeply intimate word that the tiniest humans learn at the breast and as such is inherently demeaning when applied broadly to all women with children, not too far from having your boss use a lovers’ endearment like “darling” or “hon.” It’s a kid’s word at heart, containing a kid’s-eye view of things. “Mom” is an overpowering presence: omnipotent, mythic, nurturing, and bosomy, a perfumed provider of succor, discipline, and food; but also (as the child grows up) embarrassing, annoying, nagging, insufficient, disappointing.
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“Mom” has a vaguely creepy aspect, too, a replay of the Madonna-whore complex, for as any adolescent will tell you, you can’t look away from a naked mom, both utterly compelling and the grossest thing in the world. You’re a “mom” or a “MILF” — two sides of the same coin, neither one particularly flattering even when they’re meant, as they often are, as compliments.
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My gag reflex is triggered by all of the above, but by something else as well — a shouldering of the mom identity by women themselves, so that females, with responsibilities and jobs and advanced degrees and a certain shrewd awareness of how being parents, or not, affects how they appear to others in the world, are beginning to use it to refer to each other and themselves.
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We live in a world of mom friends, and moms’ nights out, and moms’ groups, and mommy matinees, and book clubs for mommies only and recipes for Mommy Martinis...There are those who would say that “mom” is an honorific, somehow, a blessing and a tribute to those who do the hardest job of all. But if that were true, then “dad” would be, too, and it’s not. When we speak of male parents with reverence and respect, we use the word “father”.
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“Mom” is such a deficient tag for the edgy, hilarious, imperfect, impatient, big-hearted, and brainy women I know through my child that I’m sitting here wondering what might work better...I’ll try this: In everyday speech, I’m going to try to call people by their names. And if I need a parental descriptor, I’ll default to “mother.”
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🖊 Lisa Miller—full credits in comments below

There are so many reasons why there is and needs to be #blackbreastfeedingweek
The amount of knowledge, experience, and wisdom that is being shared this week is amazing!!!! As a lactation educator I know the best way to have breastfeeding success it to start seeking out information about breastfeeding while pregnant.
I understand that in the local black communities finding this kind of education can be difficult. Luckily for all we have this wonderful tool of social media filled with talented, empowered, and wise women sharing their wisdom in true #momtomomcare fashion.
Check the comments where I will tag some of these accounts you should follow. Please tag others you know, who are sharing their wisdom or ones who could benefit from these awesome accounts. 📷: @andreadjahoedp

I have never sought out kindness like I have since becoming a mother. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Sometimes I need it like oxygen. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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My eldest was born during Autumn storms. I remember the shock of the first wobbly steps homebound from the hospital into the dark city streets. Battle wounded. Forever changed. Cradling in my arms, my baby, my heart outside of my body. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I felt vulnerability in a way I’d never known before. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Everything was so loud, so harsh. The cars hurtling past. The flashing neon lights of the shops. Howling winds bending trees into arcs. People, so many people, rushing about. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I wanted a thousand blankets to protect her. To protect me.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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And then as I walked down the street, a woman caught my eye and smiled. ‘How old is she?’ she asked. ‘Not even a day a yet’, I replied. She peered into the bundle in my arms, cooing, talking gently to the wide eyed baby inside. ‘She’s beautiful, well done you. You look after yourself’ and we parted.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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And there it was. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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A soft place to land for a moment. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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A deep breath of relief. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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An ancient message to remind me there are golden threads, even in the smallest acts of kindness, that can hold us together when we need it most. ⁣⁣⁣And that we can weave around our children. ⁣⁣⁣
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✨Watch / listen to CRADLE. Link in bio ✨

22 likes
7 comments

2 weeks ago

"{ Breastfeeding } reminds us of the universal truth of abundance;
the more we give out, the more we are filled up, and that divine nourishment - the source from which we all draw is, like a mother's breast, ever full and ever flowing."- Sara Buckley
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info@rosegarnet.co.za
www.rosegarnet.co.za

Jenice Johnson Williams is @artislifemotherhood has always been a writer at heart. And in this intensely honest conversation featured in Episode 007 of Young Honest Mother: The Podcast, she details how her professional journey profoundly shifted once she gave birth to her daughter after struggling with fertility. She explores how being open about life transitions has also helped her to settle into step-motherhood after a season of living apart from her husband while still cultivating their relationship. Press play via the link in my bio to hear how she’s rediscovering who she is as she chronicles her journey on social media. ⁣⁣
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Join the conversation: how are you adapting the vision board for your life?

“Black women have always breastfed. In fact, during slavery, black women were known as “feeders” and often forbidden from breastfeeding their own children in order to breastfeed the children of their white owners. As the years went on, white middle- and upper-class women who viewed breastfeeding as beneath them were able to turn their children over to a wet nurse ― often a black woman.
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This negatively associated breastfeeding with slavery...a connection that lingers in the minds of many grandmothers and family matriarchs who are highly influential in modern black family structures. And it’s left today’s black women with a disproportionate lack of multigenerational support; many receive negative cues about breastfeeding from their older relatives.
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Stereotypes about who breastfeeds and who doesn’t, supported by media images, suggest breastfeeding is for white women of privilege; black women, on the other hand, have been stereotyped as good caretakers for other people’s children but distrusted as capable parents of their own.
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In the many spaces people are talking about breastfeeding, very few mainstream organizations are highlighting the impact of structural racism and inequities of support and access. Many public health agencies are overly focused on “evidence-based research” (of which black people were likely not participants) without valuing the experiential knowledge and lived experience of the black community as a source for real solutions.
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We must end the dangerous conversation of breastfeeding as a “choice” without a deeper discussion as to how black women’s choices are shaped by their circumstances...We must put black mothers and infants at the forefront of the breastfeeding conversation. Black communities also have solutions, can also lead innovation and ultimately save themselves and their infants ― if only we would listen.”
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{ Excerpts from: “Presenting Breastfeeding As A Choice Is Contributing To Black Infant Deaths” by @iamksealsallers // Image of @thezeinabou by @jefferysalter }

183 likes
9 comments

2 weeks ago

throw back to the rose garden picnic reveal of baby boy sparkle. we played with the roses and laughed with our loves.
I can’t believe I have nearly three more months of carrying him with me. it seems like forever and like no time at all. part of me wants him to never leave me. but I can’t wait to see his face for the first time. as our summer starts to wind down I’m thinking about what a task I have ahead of me. all I can think about is birth and the first few months after. I have such an incredible support system, I could actually build a tiny village with the amount of beautiful people in our lives. there is no short supply of aunties and uncles, grandmas and grandpas, from both blood and chosen family. I’m pouring out as much preparation as I can for something everyone tells me I can’t ever really be prepared for. despite all the moving pieces thrusting me forward there’s this peaceful and timeless feeling about being so uncertain and trusting in this great process that keeps coming over me. like all of the good and beautiful things that have come in and out of my life until this point are all for him. my baby boy. •
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#bbsprkl #mthrsprkl#mothersparkle#mother#mom#pregnant#singleandpregnant#pregnancy#baby#babyboy#babyboysparkle#babysparkle#birth#birthofamother#bruja#brujasofinstagram#hotgirlsummer#hotmomsummer#summer#family#support#ittakesavillage#discoverunder5k#discoverunder10k

205 likes
29 comments

2 weeks ago

Why isn't there anyone to sit at my table? ⁠⠀
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The isolation of postpartum can be overwhelming to new moms who are used to having a large group of friends or even a supportive network of coworkers and peers.⁠⠀
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It's sometimes a rude awakening to find out that friends who don't have children suddenly don't have time for you.⁠⠀
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You find yourself alone at a time when you have so many questions and worries.⁠⠀
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You wonder if postpartum is this hard and lonely for everyone, or is it just you? ⁠⠀
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Then you see the moms at the park or shopping together at Target and wonder why you can't find a connection like that . ⁠⠀
Is it too late for me to find a mom friend? They look like they've been friends forever. ⁠⠀
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I want you to stop and get out of your own head for a moment. ⁠⠀
You are worthy of finding friendship. ⁠⠀
You are worthy of connection.⁠⠀
It's never too late.⁠⠀
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Whether you are six weeks postpartum, nine months or 3 years postpartum, you can jump into a group of established friends or connect with another mom who's also feeling lonely and isolated.⁠⠀
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There are lots of great resources to help you connect with other moms. ⁠⠀
~You can check out apps like @meetup or @peanut. ⁠⠀
~Find a babywearing, breastfeeding or new mom group in your area.⁠⠀
~⁠ Look for virtual support from groups like @postpartumhelp , Facebook groups or @Babycenter.⁠⠀
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If you're local to the Knoxville, TN area, I'll be hosting weekly mom meetups in various places starting in September. We'll be having days where you can bring your baby and times that will be just moms.⁠⠀
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Not local? No worries 'cause I've got you covered too. Head to the link in my bio to get on the waitlist for my virtual support for postpartum moms. ⁠⠀
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#nomomleftbehind⁠

“Hold a baby to your ear⁣⁣⁣
As you would a shell:⁣⁣⁣
Sounds of centuries you hear ⁣⁣⁣
New centuries foretell.” ⁣⁣⁣
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Words from “Conch” by E.B. White⁣⁣⁣
Discovered via the wonderful @we.are.mamakind⁣⁣⁣
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📷 from CRADLE, watch the video - link in bio⁣⁣

19 likes
9 comments

2 weeks ago

"You are the most precious thing that my arms have ever held." ♡
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info@rosegarnet.co.za
www.rosegarnet.co.za

This. Girl.⁣
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She saved me. ⁣
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“Uterine rupture is spontaneous tearing of the uterus that may result in the fetus being expelled into the peritoneal cavity.”⁣
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The risk of uterine rupture is less than 1%.⁣
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While giving birth to Carsyn, I found myself in the 1%. When I say she saved me, she truly did. With half of her body in utero and half inside of my body, she acted as a plug preventing catastrophic blood loss. ⁣
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I never imagined having a surgical birth, but am truly thankful that the option was available. Without it, neither of us would be here. The last 7 weeks have been nothing short of blissful with this sweetest baby I could have been blessed with. I don’t feel cheated. I feel lucky and thankful for this girl. ❤️

20 likes
2 comments

2 weeks ago

How old is he?
How much did she weigh?
How is he sleeping?
How is she eating?
Is he a happy baby?
Is she pooping okay?
These are questions that are often asked when a new baby is born.
People often forget to ask some of these questions to the new mom.
How are you sleeping?
Are you getting enough nutritious food to eat?
How are you emotionally?
How is pooping going?
What time can I come over to help?
Remember the having a baby is a huge transition that dosen't always go smoothly. Reach out to that postpartum mom.
Did anyone ask you how you were doing postpartum?
Image by @mombrain.therapist
#momtomomcare #postpartum #lookoutforeachother
#motherhood #inittogether#youarenotalone#bringbackthevillage#newborn#birth#birthofamother

“The pressure to lose weight as a new young mother hurt me physically and emotionally. It’s challenging enough to manage the stress of everyday motherhood, including the physical demands of breastfeeding and potential mental-health conditions such as postpartum anxiety and depression. When you add trying to adhere to diets and cram in workouts, it’s nearly unbearable.
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My hips are wider than they were before my first child, my breasts aren’t perky anymore, and my stretch marks are likely a permanent part of my body’s map. But to prioritize my mental health and solidify my ability to be the best mother I can for my children, I have to learn to be fine with that. Being comfortable with my new plushy body requires rejecting the message that I must be below a certain size to be valuable. I’ve had to stop looking at skinniness as an accomplishment and understand that health should be my only goal.
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When nothing else about life will return to its pre-pregnancy state, why is our society determined to convince women that our weight should?”
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{ Excerpts from: “It’s not easy, but I’m learning to love my body through pregnancy and postpartum changes” by Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez for @washingtonpost //Artwork by @sally_hewett }

145 likes
8 comments

2 weeks ago

It was my eldest daughter's birthday yesterday. 5 years ago I was also born a mother. This is a photo of me in labour at home with my husband Sam who was my biggest supporter.
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I had such a wonderful home birth experience. The lead up to the birth was fairly stressful with finding out she was breech at 40 weeks then having low platelets and going to 14 days 'overdue' but the home birth itself was really amazing.... The rest continued in a blog post - link in bio.

Good morning, goddesses! ✨🌿👸🌸[📸 @gypsyonephoto]
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[from @evolvebirth] I've always had an interest in Greek Mythology. I started reading English translations when I was 11 or 12, and when I entered high school I decided to take Latin. It's of no practical use to me now, but I still enjoy Greek mythology. The first Greek god was actually a goddess. She is Gaia, or Mother Earth, who created herself out of primordial chaos. From her fertile womb all life sprang, and unto Mother Earth all living things must return after their allotted span of life is over. Gaia, as Mother Nature, personifies the entire ecosystem of Planet Earth. Mother Nature is always working to achieve and maintain harmony, wholeness and balance within the environment. Mother Nature heals, nurtures and supports all life on this planet, and ultimately all life and health depend on Her. In time, Nature heals all ills. #gaia#greekmythology#mothernature

#Repost @empoweredbirthproject
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This is shocking and incredibly disappointing. From @nytimes :
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“Based on decades of research, the [WHO @who] resolution says that mother’s milk is healthiest for children and countries should strive to limit the inaccurate or misleading marketing of breast milk substitutes.
Then the United States delegation, embracing the interests of infant formula manufacturers, upended the deliberations.
American officials sought to water down the resolution by removing language that called on governments to “protect, promote and support breast-feeding” and another passage that called on policymakers to restrict the promotion of food products that many experts say can have deleterious effects on young children.”
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This is a must read. Link in my stories. 🔗 Yet another example of the US prioritizing corporate interest above the health and well-being of human beings. Another example of how our bodies and our rights to accurate, evidence based information are politicized.
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#worldhealthorganization #breastfeeding#breastmilk#empoweredbirthproject

188 likes
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4 months ago

It’s when you look back at these videos and really KNOW the child your holding 😭 😍 Their personality, their quirks, their smile. What makes them happy and beam with joy and what makes them sad. Thats when these moments become so so precious. My beautiful boy Hugh born just after 10pm, 3 years ago today. SO grateful my hubby captured it for us 🙌🏻🙏🏼

299 likes
20 comments

1 month ago

When the whole 9 months ends in this beautiful moment ... Baby born 🙌🏻 You did it beautiful mama @tonilekey x

A 3 am birth call never looked so good 🙌🏻 😍 People often ask if I mind being woken at any hour of the night to a mum in labour and preparing to head to hospital or birth centre... and my answer is always no, not at all 😊 I actually LOVE it ✨ The excitement and anticipation of a baby on the way never gets old. Regardless of how organized we try to be, babies mostly come when they are ready, just like sweet Dempsey boy 💙

268 likes
10 comments

1 year ago

A year ago today a mother was born. I gave birth to my son and my new self at once. I felt the transformation start to happen with the twinge of the first contraction and never again would I be the same woman. The last 365 days have been the most trying, most rewarding, most exhausting, most exhilarating days of my life. Thank you, my son, for making me a mother and most amazingly of all, making me YOUR mother.
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📷: @branlinshockey

1545 likes
19 comments

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